New Delhi: Noting that Jammu and Kashmir had gone through a "difficult time" last year, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday said the government was keeping its "fingers crossed" this summer while remaining vigilant as he asserted that no quarter should be given to secessionists.
Singh told the Lok Sabha that the report of the Rangarajan committee appointed by him to work out a plan for providing up to one lakh jobs to Kashmiri youth was "nearly ready" and once its implementation starts the "mindset" of Kashmiri people will change.
"Our approach to the problems of Jammu and Kashmir is that we will give no quarter to secessionist elements. We will do everything in our power to strengthen the hands of the state government to provide a fairer deal to the youth of Jammu and Kashmir, to provide avenues for gainful employment," he said.
Replying to a debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address, "We have passed through a difficult time, particularly the last summer," Singh said, talking about the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
He did not elaborate but was clearly referring to the months of unrest in Kashmir valley, involving stone-pelting, which led to a cycle of violence resulting in death of over 100 people.
"Since then the situation has improved. But we keep our fingers crossed. Come this summer, I hope we will be vigilant enough to ensure that the unfortunate events that took place in the last summer in parts of Jammu and Kashmir do not take place," the Prime Minister said.
He underlined that it was an "obligation" of all the political parties to do nothing which will disturb the peaceful atmosphere that now prevails in Jammu and Kashmir.
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